Thursday August 13 2009 15:19:12 PM BDT
Shazib Chowdhury, USA
During the 7th Century when majority of Africa was enjoyingthe blessings of toleration, justice and prosperity under the Muslims,neighbouring Spainwas groaning under the tyranny, and bigotry of its Gothic King Roderick. The honour of women was not safe and thetillers of the soil were put to heavy taxation. The rulers and their henchmenrevelled in luxury while the masses groaned in poverty.
A large number ofrefugees from Spainboth Christians and Jews who had suffered under the Gothic rule had takenrefuge in Muslim Africa. During that period nobilities in Spain used tosend their sons and daughters in the royal palace as an intern to be trainednoble manners and conduct. Julian, the Governor of Ceuta,whose daughter Florinda was sent toroyal place as an intern had been dishonoured and violated by King Roderick.Following this disgraceful incidence Governor Julian of Ceuta fled Spain and tookasylum across the Gibraltar in Muslim Africa. Thefled refugees from Spainalong with Governor Ceuta appealedto Musa bin Nusair to liberate their country from the tyrant’s yoke. Tariqbin Ziyad, a newly converted Berber slave was a lieutenant of Musa binNusair, the Muslim Viceroy of Africarepresenting theUmayyad Caliph Al-Walid I.
Following the appeal of the fled Spaniardrefugees Musa bin Nusair sent a messenger to the Caliph Al-Walid Iin Damascus.The Caliph after much thought and after taking council of his advisors agreedin principle to consider the appeal of the oppressed citizen of Spain andliberate them from the tyrannical King. According to the Islamicprinciples oppression should be stopped by all means.
In response to their prayer and with the sanction of the Caliph Al-Walid I, Musa bin Nusair made areconnaissance on the southern coast of Spain. The report was favourableand in May 711, Tariq bin Zaid with 7,000 Muslims crossed the Straits inships in small contingents. As his troops landed in Europe, Tariq concentratedthem on a hill, which took the name of ‘Jabl-ul-Tariq’ (The Rock ofTariq) now called Gibraltar, and urged themeither to conquer or perish. They had no intention to go back home.
The Gothic King Roderick collected a huge army of more than 70,000solders. Tariq, too was reinforced by 5,000 soldiers dispatched by Musaand now his army numbered 12,000. The two armies met at the mouth of riverBarbate, on the shores of a lagoon of Janda and fought a decisive battle onJuly 9th, 711, A.D. The two armies were unequally matched.
Therefore, the armies of Tariq metlittle resistance in the interior of Spain. His was a triumphant marchfrom place to place in the Peninsula. Tariqhad divided his small army into four divisions and directed one of hislieutenants towards Cordova, the other towards Malaga,thethird towards Granada and himself at the head ofthe main body hurriedly marched upon Toledo,the Capital of Spain.
All these cities capitulated without much resistance. TheGoths were paralysed by the rapidity of Tariq’s movement and the severity ofhis blows. The Gothic armies fled before him. ‘God’, says an analyst, ‘filledthe hearts of idolaters with terror and alarm.’ The oppressed masses of Spain hailedthe Muslims as their liberators. The exemplary treatment of Tariq and his menendeared him to the conquered races.
The fiercest battle of the entire campaignwas fought at Ecija, which resulted in the victory of Tariq’s forces. Toledo, the Capital ofSpain, also capitulated after little resistance. Here Tariq was joined by hisMaster Musabin Nusair, thee Muslim viceroy of Africa.Hence forward, the two generals moved side by side and in less than two years,the whole of Spain was inMuslim hands Portugalwas conquered, a few years after. ‘This constituted the last and the mostsensational of the major Arab campaigns’, writes Philip K. Hitti,’ and resultedin the addition to the Moslem world of the largest European territory ever heldby them… In its swiftness of execution and completeness of success, thisexpedition into Spainholds a unique place in the Mediaeval Military Annals.
Musa and Tariq would have easilyconquered the whole of Europe which lay attheir feet. There was none to stop their victorious advance, but Providence meantotherwise. When they were planning the conquest of Europe, they receivedsummons from the Caliph to present themselves at Damascus. They exhibited a rare discipline byobeying the orders of the Caliph, reaching Damascus at the earliest possible time. Tariqdied there afterwards.
The Berber slave was destined to bethe conqueror of Spain, thebiggest Muslim territory in Europe, which, foreight centuries under the Muslims, kept aloft the torch of civilisation andculture that at last dispelled the gloom that had enveloped the MediaevalEurope.
Soon after the death of the HolyProphet of Islam (PBUH), the Muslims were threatened from all sides. The mightyneighbouring Empires of the Roman and Persians were conspiring to uproot thisnew force. But the Arabs not only met this challenge but also crushed the twogreatest Empires of the world, and in less than half a century their arms heldsway over the three known continents.
The Islamic principles of equalityand fraternity had enabled the conquered and newly converted races to taketheir share in the government along with the noblest of the Arabs. Islamrecognised no distinction of caste and creed and readily patronised talentwherever found. This is why all capable slaves have occupied the highestpositions in an Islamic polity and many slave dynasties have magnificentlyruled over Muslim subjects.
The conquest of Spain by Muslims opened a new era for the Peninsula. It brought about a social revolution in whichthe freedom of religion was fully recognised. The in- toleration andpersecution of the Christians gave place to toleration and large-heartedness.The captured Christian cities received favourable terms which were faithfullyobserved. Individual acts of violence by the Muslim soldiers were severelypunished. No properties or estates were confiscated. Instead, the Muslimsintroduced an intelligent system of taxation, which soon brought prosperity tothe Peninsula and made it a model country inthe West. The Christians had their own judges to settle their disputes. Allcommunities had equal opportunities for entry into the public services.
This wise and generous administration of Muslimconquerors had its good effects. The Christians including their priests, whohad first left their homes in terror came back and passes a happy andprosperous life. A well-known Christian writer says: ‘The Moors(Muslims)organised that wonderful kingdom of Cordova, which was the marvel ofthe Middle Ages, and which, when all Europe was plunged in barbaric ignoranceand strife, alone held the torch of learning and civilisation bright and shiningbefore the Western world. The Muslimsruled Spainfor eight centuries setting the best example in the history of sharedGovernance of an empire by the Muslims, Christians and the Jewish people. Thethree religion coexisted in a peaceful harmony during a significant period oftime in Muslim Spain.
Shazib Chowdhury, USA
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Why Muslims Invaded Spain?
Why go all the way to spain?
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